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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · mine · calf · chip · object · sharp · ball · race

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chip — to eat
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. mine — for digging
  8. object — an aim
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. race — a contest
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. race — humankind
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — clever
  17. race — the arms race
  18. object — a thing
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chip — for betting
  23. spring — a coil
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com